Your Apple iPad is a deeply personal device, and the easiest way to make it truly yours is by customizing the background image. By default, the iPad comes with a standard, abstract Apple graphic. However, you can easily swap this out for a photo of your family, your pets, a favorite landscape, or a completely custom digital design. Apple allows you to set different images for your Lock Screen (what you see when the device is locked) and your Home Screen (the grid behind your app icons).
How to Change Your Wallpaper via Settings
The most straightforward way to change your wallpaper is through the main Settings app, which gives you access to Apple’s curated gallery of dynamic backgrounds as well as your own photo library.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Scroll down the left-hand menu and tap on Wallpaper.
- Tap the large button labeled + Add New Wallpaper.
- A gallery will appear. At the top of the screen, you can choose the source of your new image:
- Photos: Select a specific image from your iPad’s camera roll.
- Photo Shuffle: Select a group of photos that will automatically cycle throughout the day.
- Weather & Astronomy: Choose a dynamic background that changes based on live weather conditions or planetary alignments.
- Collections: Choose from Apple’s curated list of high-quality, abstract iPad graphics.
- Once you select an image, you will be taken to a preview screen. Use two fingers to pinch and zoom the image to crop it perfectly.
- Tap Add in the top-right corner.
Choosing Between Lock Screen and Home Screen
Immediately after you tap “Add,” a menu will pop up asking how you want to apply the image.
- If you tap Set as Wallpaper Pair, the iPad will apply the exact same image to both your Lock Screen and your Home Screen. It will also automatically blur the Home Screen version slightly, which helps your app icons stand out and remain readable against busy backgrounds.
- If you tap Customize Home Screen, you can choose a completely different image for the background behind your apps. You can select a solid color, a soft gradient, or tap the “Photo” icon to choose a secondary image from your camera roll.
How to Change Wallpaper Directly from the Photos App
If you are already browsing through your photo library and find the perfect picture, you do not need to open the Settings app to apply it.
- Open the Photos app and tap on the image you want to use so it fills the screen.
- Tap the Share button in the top-right corner (the square icon with an arrow pointing up).
- Scroll down the share menu list and tap Use as Wallpaper.
- You will be taken to the exact same crop and preview screen mentioned above, where you can tap Add to finalize your choice.